Out of Cilantro, one case

How to substitute dried cilantro for fresh

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Dried cilantro

1 tsp for every 1 tbsp of cilantro

Use 1 teaspoon of dried cilantro for each tablespoon of chopped fresh, or 4 teaspoons for ¼ cup. That is the standard one-to-three dried herb conversion, but cilantro loses most of its flavor when it is dried, so the result is a faint version of fresh. It is acceptable in soups, chili, rice and marinades. In salsa, guacamole and garnishes it is a poor swap, and fresh parsley with lime does more.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Stir it into the dish for the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking so it rehydrates. In a cold dish, let it stand at least 15 minutes.
Best for —: soups, chili and stews

One casethe full cilantro card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Cilantro substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 tbsp cilantro	Verdict
1	Dried cilantrosoups, chili and stews	1 tspYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Freeze-dried cilantrosalsa and guacamole when no fresh herb is available	1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
3	Cilantro pastemarinades, curries and soups	1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
4	Fresh flat-leaf parsley + limesalsa, guacamole and pico de gallo	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Ground coriander	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Dried cilantro

faint and hay-like next to fresh

Air-dried cilantro leaves from the spice rack, sometimes labeled coriander leaf. Drying drives off most of the aroma, so it adds green flecks and a mild herbal note.

Best for: soups, chili and stews, rice, beans and taco meat, marinades and cooked sauces
Prep: Stir it into the dish for the last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking so it rehydrates. In a cold dish, let it stand at least 15 minutes.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Fresh salsa, guacamole, chutney and any garnish, where the bright flavor of fresh cilantro is the point. Adding more than the conversion gives a dusty, hay-like taste, not more cilantro flavor.

Rub a pinch between your fingers. If it smells of nothing, it will taste of nothing.

Freeze-dried cilantro

much closer to fresh than ordinary dried

Freeze-drying keeps much more of the color and aroma than air-drying. The jars are sold in the produce or spice aisle and are meant to be used measure for measure for fresh.

Best for: salsa and guacamole when no fresh herb is available, dressings and dips, finishing soups and rice
Prep: Stir it into something moist and give it a few minutes to rehydrate.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: It has none of the leafy texture of fresh, so it is weak as a garnish on top of a dish.

Cilantro paste

close to fresh, slightly salty and sweet

Fresh cilantro ground with oil and seasoning and sold in a tube in the produce section. It keeps the fresh flavor far better than dried.

Best for: marinades, curries and soups, dressings and sauces, stirring into rice
Prep: Use 1 tbsp of paste for 1 tbsp of chopped fresh cilantro and taste before adding the recipe's salt.
Where it fails: It is a smooth paste, so it adds no leaf texture, and most brands contain salt and sugar. Check the label if you avoid dairy, since some tubes contain milk ingredients.

Fresh flat-leaf parsley + lime

grassy and mild; lime adds back some brightness

When the dish needs a fresh green herb more than it needs the taste of cilantro, fresh parsley does that job better than dried cilantro can.

Best for: salsa, guacamole and pico de gallo, garnishing tacos, soups and curries
Prep: Chop it fine and add a squeeze of lime juice.
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: It does not taste like cilantro. In dishes where cilantro is the main flavor, such as cilantro-lime rice or green chutney, the result is a different dish.

Ground coriander

warm and citrusy, not herbal

The ground seed of the same plant, often suggested because of the shared name.

Best for: spice blends and curries, as its own spice
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Coriander seed tastes warm, nutty and lemony, nothing like the fresh leaf. Measured as if it were cilantro it makes the dish taste of curry spice.

Tips for substituting cilantro

5 tips

The conversion: 1 tsp dried per 1 tbsp fresh, 2 tsp per 2 tbsp, 4 tsp per ¼ cup, 8 tsp (2 tbsp plus 2 tsp) per ½ cup.
In cooked dishes, add dried cilantro in the last 10 to 15 minutes. It needs moisture and a little time, and a long simmer cooks away what flavor it has.
Back it up with acid. A squeeze of lime juice at the end restores some of the brightness that drying removed.
Dried cilantro fades quickly. Replace a jar that is more than about a year old or that has turned from green to tan.
To keep fresh cilantro on hand, chop it and freeze it in an ice cube tray with a little water or oil. Frozen cilantro tastes far closer to fresh than dried does.

Questions

4 questions

How much fresh cilantro replaces dried cilantro?

Go the other way with the same numbers: 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh cilantro for each teaspoon of dried. Add fresh cilantro at the very end of cooking or after the dish comes off the heat, because its flavor fades when it is cooked.

How much dried cilantro equals ¼ cup of fresh?

Four teaspoons, which is 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon. For ½ cup of fresh, use 8 teaspoons, or 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons. Expect a milder result than fresh at any amount.

Can I use dried cilantro in salsa or guacamole?

You can, at 1 teaspoon per tablespoon of fresh, but it is the weakest option. Let the salsa stand 15 minutes so the flakes soften. Freeze-dried cilantro, cilantro paste, or fresh parsley with extra lime all give a fresher result.

Is dried cilantro the same as coriander?

It depends on the label. Dried cilantro is the dried leaf, and some jars call it coriander leaf. Ground coriander and coriander seed are the seed of the same plant and taste completely different. They are not interchangeable with the leaf, fresh or dried.